Kendrick Nunn scored 27 points and Jimmy Butler had 24 points and 8 rebounds, leading the Miami Heat to a 96-94 victory over the host Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, February 20 (Sunday, February 21, Philippine time) in a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals participants.
Bam Adebayo had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Duncan Robinson chipped in 11 points for the resurgent Heat, who have won 6 of their last 9 games.
Two free throws by Butler with 12.4 seconds left turned out to be the decider.
Kyle Kuzma had 23 points and LeBron James added 19 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists for the Lakers, who have dropped 3 of their last 4 contests.
The Lakers continued to play without injured star Anthony Davis as guard Dennis Schroder also missed his second straight game due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Montrezl Harrell hit 7-of-12 shots from the field to finish with 18 points, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 11 points for the Lakers.
Both teams struggled in the 4th quarter as they combined for only 32 points. But two free throws by Butler with 12.4 seconds left were the difference.
Minutes before, a three-point play by Kuzma allowed the Lakers to cut the Heat’s lead to 94-92 with 1:28 remaining.
After Robinson was called for an offensive foul with an elbow to face of Caldwell-Pope with 25 seconds remaining, Wes Matthews misfired on a three-point attempt with 16.6 seconds left.
After Butler’s free throws gave the Heat a four-point advantage, Matthews converted a layup to slice the gap to two with 8.4 seconds left.
But Alex Caruso, who failed to score in 20 minutes, missed a three-pointer before the final horn.
A 14-4 run to open the 3rd boosted the Lakers to a 66-63 edge after a triple by Matthews with 7:44 left in the quarter.
However, Miami answered with a 13-0 surge for a 76-66 advantage after a pair of foul shots by Butler with 3:05 left in the 3rd. Los Angeles then sliced Miami’s lead to 81-77 at the end of the 3rd.
The Heat, who led by as many as 15 points in the first half, led 59-52 at the break. – Rappler.com
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